Bark peeling machine



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 G. B. JONES BARK FEELING MACHINE Filed oct. e, 1942 July l0, 1945.

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July l0, 41945. G B .JONES BARK FEELING MACHINE Filed oct. e, 1942 ATTORNEYS 5 0., n 0 8 S 3 .r 1 .t 2 e e h S 4 E m S w 9 E W. 1. N o m 6 J M .L C B m o Dl. d e G. A l R i m F I July 1o, 1945.

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ATTORNEYS Patented July 10, 1945 UNITED fEF ICE :..assmois .'ARK-BEELINGMACHINE George BJJones'; lCaspar, Calif.

. ...applicati-remember 6, 194.2,.seria1.No.ionss "l2 Glaims.

This invention relates .in general. tofa machine .for usein the logging?, industryy and invparticular `the invention is directed toand .itifis-myprincipal object to provide, a machine for'ipeelingbark from logs, l prior `to f milling the.. latter. yIn sthe-` loglengthwise ofI lthelog;v said =blade .assembly'being segmental, rigid in a horizontal planeabuteiiible in a vertical plane whereby to conformtothe coniigurationofthe log-across which the.assembly engages. v

A further` object ,off this invention is.to.pro'.vide a .bark peeling machine Which-includesa support `ing frame adapted tol-be 4mounted..on..a.,.p`ow,er

driven vehicle, such as .a tractororelduse or a. power carriage for mill. use; [the Ibark peeling., `blade assembly being carried on the outer end .of .an extensible boom which is secured onsaidframe and projectslaterallyfrom.the uehiclehth latter l running alongside the `log` duringthe peeling operation.

An additional object ofthe. invention isto pro- .vide a: bark peeling machine whichVv includes an extensible boom, as in the. precedingaparagraph,

whereby to properly `positiontheblade assembly transversely ofthe log,V .and .which boom is "also",l arranged for limited. rotative movement at""its' outer end wherebyy to,.position..said assembly at correct cutting-.angle relative to Ithe" bark;" there being separate power .means arranged'with the boom to selectively effect such extension and 'rota-V,

tion thereof.

Itis `alsoan object of. thisinvention to,` provideV a bark peeling. machine which includes, combination, atractormounted frame, an extensible boom -pivotedior vertical. swinging movement'on and projecting laterallyirom. said'ir'ame, and a segmental blade .assembly secured'in connection with the outer endof the boom and'proje'cting therebeyond for engagementacross -a log alongside of which the tractor is to be driven, said about theaxisv of the-boom forproper adjustment of the cuttinganglefof thebladesp there'iibeing assembly toregulate said cutting angle.

A still furtherfobject' offthis inventionris tof provide a bark peeling-machineewhicrrfincludesra boom-supported blade assembly vof.uni:1ue:.articu including a x plurality of; parallel .shoesdispesedzin zadiacent butl spaced 4side byside relation. adja- .cent ones of` said` shoesbeing.. pivoted. together at u-the sides for relative swinging 'movement about a -r 5 ...substantially horizontalr axis at right ang-les .to ,thefaxis of= the boom, Jopcrater-,controlled power actuated linkage connected with said. shoes` .ar-

.uanged -to selectively and'I :independentlyswing each-fio. a position. corresponding .to 1 log,.contour, 10.1 and .fangularly disposed bark peeling ...blades amounted on .the ends of. the shoes.

` A further object of `the .invention is..t0- provide an exceedingly. effective device i which .will .be suit- ...able for. the .purpose for which ..it is. designed.' I15 `.These objects Ilaccomplish,bymeans-of such structure .and relative arrangement ,of pants as .will fully appear -by a perusalofythel .following ,.speciiication and claims.

.In thedraWingssimiIar characters of, reference ,220., indicate corresponding.. parts .infthe several views:

lfliligure` lisa side outline of.aptractorwithjthe bark peeling machine mounted thereon,l saidlma- .-..chine.being shown in raisedor operativeposition. C'Eigure 2 is. an enlarged, fragmentary end view v25-.iof 'thabarkpeelingmachine asfmountedY on a `.ltr.a`ctor; said machine being,:shownin raised or inoperative position.

Eigure 3 is an enlarged,fragmentarytop'plan .,fshowing the extensible .boom .andthe 'segmental :301 blade v.,assernbly; :the bark-deflecting: hoodsrbeing I removed from thelatter.

I'Figure' 4 Yis a `fragmentary "side elevation,` partly section, A showing: the 'extensible "boom andthe segmental' blade assembly' asrinuseythe bark4 de- .,.35jiie'ctinghoods'being removedifromthe latter.

.'.Figurell is an `Vend4 elevation ofone'of "thesshoe -Vandbladec units rof the segmentalblade' assembly, .,detached. p Eigure' 6 is 'an enlarged' crosssection on line -6-6 -40..'ff]i2gure 3.

Eigure' is ,an .enlarged cross sectioncondine 11i-1 ofFig; 3. y

Fvigure 8 is."a"diagrammaticfviewiof thefluid conduit system' :employed lin `connection with "the .plurality :ofV hydraulic cylinders used' 'to' control lthelsegmental blade assembly.

Referring now more particularly tothel charac- Ltersgof Vreference on thedrawings,` `the bark-peel- Iingpmachine comprises a frame whichincludes1 a z,malsain,OffUsshaped.brackets I` adapted'to straddle assembly -being -mounted for limited l-i'rotxaLtionr the endless tracklz on.one side "ofV a'vehic'leA such as, attractor 3; the lowerjends 'of' said brackets lated construction. and operation; Seide assembly/c goal. ,-A.:doubleacting`I` hydraulic.. cylinder, 'Lisjpiv- Ybeing .rigidly securedI to Vthe .corresponding 'track otally connected between ears 8 and 9 on the upper ends/of vthe A-frame 6 and yoke 5 respectively; said cylinder being operator-controlled through the medium of valved conduits (not shown) arranged in a manner conventional to tractor mounted power cylinders.

A boom, indicated generally at I0, is secured to the yoke centrally of its ends and projects therefrom in a plane at right angles to the direction of travel of the tractor 3. This boom 'is longitudinally extensible and comprises vthe following -structure.

An elongated tubular member` II is rigidly secured at one end in connection with the yoke 5, and is surrounded by a tubular sleeve I2 of substantially the same length; the ysleeve I2 beof the cylinder to a connection, as at I6, with the outer and closed end of sleeve I2. The pis- `ton I4 may be double-acting under hydraulic pressure, or as shown may be advanced by fluid pressure from conduit Il, controlled by the operator and retracted by a heavy-duty compression spring I8 engaged between piston I5 and the oute end of the cylinder C.

Another sleeve I9 surrounds sleeve I2 in closely fitting but relatively rotatable relation; a radial pin 29 projecting from sleeve I2 into a circumferential slot 2 I, of limited arcuate extent, cut in the outer sleeve I9.

A bark peeling blade assembly of segmental construction is secured in connection with the outer end of the above-described boom unit and projects outwardly therefrom, said assembly comprising the following: v

`A plurality of rigid elongated shoes 22 are disposed substantially horizontally and at right angles to the boom unit in adjacent, parallel but spaced relation -to each other; the shoes on adjaswing in a vertical plane relative to the adjacent shoes. The shoes 22 progressively decrease in length from adjacent the boom,'and at their outer ends said shoes are tted with removable blades 24 disposed parallel to the boom but at an upward and inward slope from their lower cutting edge. l that they overlap at adjacent ends; the differ- ,1 ence in length between adjacent'shoes permit- Ating such overlap of the blades without one strikingthe other. At the end adjacent .the boom the segmental blade assembly above described is secured to said end of the boom by a pair of brackets 25 which project outwardly in spaced .relation from an enlarged cross head 26 on said l `'movement of each of the shoes 22 is accomplished by means of a plurality of double-acting power cylinders 28 mounted in side by side relation on Athe cross head 28; said cylinders 28 being supported by trunnions 29 for swinging movement "in a vertical plane lengthwise of the boom. Each jcylinder corresponds to one ofthe shoes 22 and 'each shoe has a rigid upstanding post 30 secured,

These blades are ofsuch lengthv cent sides having spaced ears 23 which are pivoted together, whereby each shoe may pivot or thereto, the piston rod 3l of the corresponding cylinder 28 being connected to said post through the medium of pivotally connected links 32. The number of links 32 between each cylinder 28 andthe corresponding post 30 depends on the number of intervening shoes. Such intervening shoes each carry an upstanding swingable arm 33 to support each chain of links 32 which extends thereabove; the arms 33 being concentrically pivoted with adjacent pivots of links 32. The chains of links 32 are disposed in side by side relation, as shown in Fig. 3. It will be seen thaty by selective actuation of the double-acting power cylinders 28 and resulting movement of shoes 22, the segmental blade assembly can be caused to assume a configuration generally corresponding to the exterior and cross-sectional conguration of the log L' to be peeled, as illustrated in-Fig. 4.

Limited rotative movement of the outer sleeve I9 relative to the inner sleeve I2 in one direction or the other will similarly cant the segmental blade assembly for the hereinafter described purpose; such limited rotative movement of sleeve I9 being accomplished through the medium of an independent operator-controlled power cylinder 34 of double-acting type mounted between a bracket 35 on the inner end of sleeve I2, and an ear 36 on the adjacent end of the sleeve I9; such rotative motion .of sleeve I9 being limited by the pin 29 in slot 2 I.

`The cylinders 28 are controlled independently of each other, and of v'cylinders l, 34, and the boom-extension cylinder C; the conduit arrangement for this independent control for the cylinders 28 being shown diagrammatically in Fig. 8. A pressure iluid supply pump P is `connected in series rwith a fluid supply tank T; there being a pressure feed `pipe 31 leading Afrom the pump and a fluid return pipe 38 leading to the bank. Each cylinder 28 is connected at opposite ends to conduits, indicated at 39 and 40 respectively, 'suchv conduits for each cylinder being connected through the medium of a four-way valve 4I with conduits 31 and 38 respectively. The valves 4I are all disposed within easy reach of the operator, and each such valve can be manipulated, as is obvious, to effect operation of the corresponding double-acting cylinder 28 in either direction. A pressure relief valve 42 is connected tbetween the conduits 31 and 38.

At certain times during operation of the device, and as will hereinafter appear, it is desirable to permit the pistons of cylinders 28 to float therein, and this is accomplished by connecting a hand valve 43 in parallel across each pair of conduits 39 and Ml by means of the conduit ar- .rangement indicated generally at 44.

In operation of the above described bark peeling machine, the tractor 3 is disposed alongside of the log adjacent one end thereof, and the operator actuates cylinder 'I to lower the boom I0 to laterally projecting position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The boom is then extended to the extent necessary to dispose the segmental Ablade assembly across the circumferential portion of the log to be peeled.

Thereafter, the operator, by proper manipulationof valves 4I, causes the segmental blade assemblytto s articulate, 'uanduengagezand assume. a

`'configuration substantially .that'foil saidcircumferential:.portionfofltlie` log. i' Also .the .cylinder .3ft is. actuated to4 cause4 thei segmentalflblade ass embly.` to :.tilt `downwardly atlits. leading cutting edge. :The tractoristhen driven forwardlyA andl .thebladesr atthe leading edgeof .the seg- `mental -blade. assembly immediatelydig into. the bark. As soon as. the suctionA of .'thebladesat .the leading edge of the assembly: pulls'them beneath 4.thebarlg ,the cylinder-.3411s released yto ineutraliposition and the .valveliis opened. This permits. .the entire` segmental. blade` :assembly .to

ffloat and follow the contourJofzthe log with advance of the tractor; `the::suctionofblades iili.l assuringY lthat, the-blader assembly-doesv Anot rise fromv the b-ark Yand beginstof skip.

. As the. tractor `advances jthe bar-k .peeling from the logis fedupwardly by the.workingilblades 2d, and. `.hoods H: of 'suitable "configuration, ldeflect the' loose bark over ther blade assembly.

. bladeY assembly, \-and\as-isneceSsary at '-the'beginm'ng of the reverse cut. l v

While theifbarkpeeling machine herein described is shown in connection with a tractor for field use, the machine, with slight modification of the mounting frame, can be lapplied to a power carriage within the mill, and will function in substantially the same manner. y

From the foregoing `description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills Athe objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A bark peeling machine comprising a frame adapted to be mounted on a vehicle, an extensible boom unit projecting from the frame laterally of the direction of travel of the vehicle,`

operator controlled power means operative to eX- tend and contract the boom unit, an operator controlled bark peeling blade yassembly mounted on the outer end of the boom unit, for limited rotation about an axis parallel to the axis of the boom unit, and separate operator controlled power means operative to rotate said assembly to adjust the cutting angle of the latter; said assembly being power actuated, under the control of the operator, to engage in conforming relation across a log for bark peeling movement lengthwise thereof upon corresponding movement of the vehicle.

2. A bark peeling machine comprising a frame adapted to be mounted on a vehicle, a boom projecting from the frame laterally of the vehicle, a bark peeling blade assembly projecting beyond the outer end of said boom for engagement across a log and bark peeling movementlengthwise of the latter, said assembly being articulated lengthwise of the boom and including a pluralityof blades disposed transversely of the log, and op- .f f erator controlled. power imeans .connected .tov-:said

lass'embly. in.. articulating irelation'l thereto: sonas `to cause .said .blades to: substantially vconform-to `the crosssectional contour of. the engagedportion of the log.

3. A Vbarkpeeling vmachine .as vinclaim12 Vin @which said assembly includes a-plurality of .shoes `disposed in alinement lengthwise of the boom, and

onhwhich the blades lare mounted, and"means pivoting. adjacent shoes together forl relative.A up

and. down swinging movement; said .powerzmeans vrelationyand means arranged to mount said assembly .in connection and for movement witha vehicle ralongside `the log; said assembly including a plurality 'of shoes disposed in adjacentbut spaced relation transverselyof the log, means vpivoting adjacentA shoes together for relative vertical swinging movement, lbark 4peeling rvblades mounted on the shoes-at one end, andloperator controlled power means connected i with lsaid .shoes operative to effect swinging `movement thereof selectively and independently, f whereby to cause said blades to substantially conform to the cross sectional contour of. they engaged. -portion of the log.

. 5. -Abark peelingmachine as inl claim` 4 in which said power means includes a separate, double acting power cylinder operatively connected with each shoe; a valved conduit system connected with said cylinders, said system being operative to effect independent and selective actuation of said cylinders in either direction.

6. A bark peeling machine as in claim 4 in which said power means includes a separate, double acting power cylinder operatively connected with each shoe; a valved conduit system connected with said cylinders, said system being operative to effect independent and selective actuation of said cylinders in either direction, and said system including valve means to establish free communication between-opposite ends of the cylinders whereby the pistons therein may oat.

'7. A bark peeling machine as in claim 4 in which said power means comprises a plurality of double acting power -cylinders mounted adjacent one end of the assembly, there being a separate cylinder corresponding to each shoe, and an operating linkage connecting each cylinder to the corresponding shoe.

8. A bark peeling machine as in claim 4 in which said power means comprises a plurality of double acting power cylinders mounted adjacent' one end of the assembly, there being a separate cylinder corresponding to each shoe, and an operating linkage connecting each cylinder to the corresponding sh'oe; said linkage including an upstanding post rigidly mounted on each shoe, a chain of links between each shoe and the corresponding cylinder, and pivotally mounted links upstanding from intervening shoes and connected with said chains at their pivot points, in supporting relation thereto.

9. A bark peeling machine comprising a blade assembly adapted to engage across a log for movement lengthwise thereof in bark peeling relation, and means adapted to mount said assembly in connection and for movement with a vehicle alongside the log; said assembly including a plurality of shoes disposed in adjacent but spaced relation transversely of the log, means pivoting adjacent shoes together for relative vertical swinging movement, bark peeling blades mounted on the shoes at one end, and operator controlled power means connected to said shoes operative to effect swinging movement thereof selectively and independently to cause said blades to substantially conform to the cross sectional contour of the engaged portion of the log; there being deflecting hoods mounted on the shoes adjacent the blades whereby to deflect bark from the blades over said shoes.

l0. A bark peeling machine comprising a blade assembly adapted to engage across a log for movement lengthwise thereof in bark peeling relation, a boom supporting said assembly for engagement across a log and bark peeling movement lengthwise thereof, and means adapted -to mount said boom on a vehicle in laterally projecting relation; said boom being extensible and including telescopic sleeves, means `to telescope or extend said sleeves, means to limit extension of said sleeves, a third sleeve surrounding the outer one of said telescopic sleeves, means securing said third and outer sleeve together for limited relative rotation but against relative longitudinal movement, said blade assembly being mounted on said third sleeve, and separate power means connected to said third sleeve to effect said limited rotation thereof.

11. A bark peeling machine comprising a yoke,

a frame structure adapted to mount said yoke I on a vehicle at one side thereof and for swinging movement in a vertical transverse plane, a boom fixed on and projecting outwardly from the yoke, power means between the vehicle and yoke operative to positively swing the latter, and a bark peeling blade assembly mounted in connection with the outer end portion of th'e boom and operative to engage across a log in conforming and bark peeling relation thereto; said boom being extensible, the outer end portion thereof being mounted for limited rotation, and operator controlled means to elect selective and independent extension of the boom and rotation of said outer end portion thereof.

12'. A bark peeling machine comprising a frame adapted to be mounted on a vehicle, a boom projecting from the frame laterally of the vehicle, a bark peeling blade assembly mounted on and projecting outwardly from the outer end of said boom for engagement across a log in bark peeling relation thereto upon movement of the vehicle lengthwise of and adjacent said log, said assembly being inilexible in a horizontal plane, and liexible in a .vertical plane, and operator co'ntrolled means connected with said assembly operative to cause the latter -to flex and assume a configuration substantially corresponding to the cross sectional contour of the engaged portion 30 of the log.

GEORGE B. JONES. 

